By James Wills 

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Favorite Home Remodelling Trends for 2006

 

Just like shoes and cars, home remodeling experiences trends and fashions and 2006 was a big one for cocooning. If a man's home is his castle, then a family's home is their sanctuary. The abundance of home makeover reality shows on TV has set off a remodeling bug and more people than ever are joining the ranks of DIY interior designers. What have been the big trends for 2006?

The spa lifestyle is one that appeals to men and women and bathrooms have turned into fully-equipped day spas, complete with two-person Jacuzzis, throne-like toilets, double basins and extravagant décor. Lighting has evolved to be ambient instead of merely functional, floors feature natural materials and the most popular accessories are candles and oils. Bathroom remodeling is a significant investment but it turns a utility room into a haven.

There is also a great move towards sustainability and environmentally friendly materials. Recycled timbers can be transformed into highly attractive floors and details and plantation products such as bamboo and cork are not only produced with sustainability in mind but they are also practical and versatile.

Home theaters were huge in 2006. It seems everyone wants to be entertained at home. From sound-insulated walls to installing the latest in high-tech gadgetry, home remodeling brings the blockbusters to you. What used to be open plan living has set aside a whole room to be sealed off from the rest of the house. Bring on the popcorn!

And just when you thought you could throw away your pots and pans, everyone's now cooking at home more too. Again, TV shows bombarding us with the delights of home cuisine are bringing about a return to the gourmet kitchen. Big stoves, walk-in refrigerators, stainless steel counter tops and in-kitchen mealtimes mean home remodeling in a big way.

It's anyone's guess what the home remodeling trends will be for 2007 but the main clues are climate change, celebrity copycatting and a new home-and-hearth mentality.

Kitchen Counters That Leave Lasting Impressions

 

Concrete is a widely used material in modern construction as it can easily be made to resemble other materials in building, including roof shakes, natural stone and wood siding. In recent years, concrete has also been gaining notoriety in the interior design world as it is capable of creating a very distinct look in kitchen counter tops, cabinets and islands, in addition to other indoor uses especially when it comes to tables and bathroom vanities. After being properly colored and finished, a concrete counter top can look just like natural stone, or even a solid-surface material. You would not even know that the material your counter top is fashioned from also functions as sidewalk and garage floor material.

There may be much easier ways to create and install counter tops, but concrete materials are inexpensive, and when done right the pay off can be huge because concrete counter tops can last a lifetime. Additionally, you can expect for your new concrete counter top to become a conversation piece and something of great interest when guests are in the home. Concrete counter tops may be old news in other parts of the world, but in the United States, the idea is relatively unheard of.

The form for a concrete counter top can be created using melamine-coated particle board. The concrete will dry slower using this plastic facing, which will ensure the maximum strength of the concrete. Concrete counter tops can be formed with center voids in order to be compatible with under-mount sinks, which allows you to brush spills directly into the basin, rather than trying to sweep them over a rim. This is what sets concrete counter tops apart from counter top products like solid surface, and plastic laminate.

Bags of pre-mixed concrete can be used for colors that match ordinary concrete, or are darker. On the other hand, you will want to mix your own concrete for lighter colors, by mixing Portland cement (white), pea gravel and mason's sand. Try to test various colors on square foot samples before deciding which effect to go with.

Once the counter top is built, you cannot drill or cut it. Because of this, you need to make sure that you have created voids for everything that must be added afterward. When creating block outs, use plywood because the edges of other wood, especially particle board, can swell when water is absorbed. You can use screws to secure the plywood block outs to the bottom of the concrete counter top form.

By Arturo Ronzon 

By Ken Wilssens 

 

For lots of helpful information on kitchen furniture and other kitchen remodeling related topics, visit Kitchens Spot at http://www.kitchens-spot.com

By Ken Wilssens 

 

A sunroom is composed mostly of glass so you can get the maximum exposure to the sun. If you properly plan this sunroom it can be as comfortable as any room in your home. The benefits of a sunroom are many, but the most important benefit is that it brings the outdoors inside without having to face the elements. You can fill this room with natural light, which will provide you with the best year-round views of nature. Take a look at the various sunroom designs available to find one that best suits your home.

Sunrooms don't always have to be attached to your home. You can build them as a garden gazebo but the ones that are attached to your home will give you the greatest pleasure. You can choose any room in your home and turn it into a sunroom, but if you do, your design has to be incorporated to make it suit your tastes. For example, if you want to take an extra bedroom that's not being used you can put skylights in the top and have glass for the outside walls, but most people design their sunroom's to be attached to their homes.

There are many things to be taken into account when designing a sunroom, such as you need to check for planning permission. It has to be built to your budget. You need to know construction material, you need to know glazing options for the windows and a good idea would be to place your furniture before you design a sunroom to have an idea of what size you will need. You should always try to match the color of your sunroom to the color of your home. Make the height of the floor the same as that in your home. If you have to add a dwarf wall, make sure is not too high so that it will restrict your view of the outside.

By Carmel Baird 

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Landscaping To Make Garden Rooms

 

The area of land surrounding your home is no longer your yard, it is an extension of your home.

The landscaping and gardening of your yard is now as important as the decorating of the inside of your home. No longer is it, "the garden out the front, clothesline and vegetables out the back with the old garden shed".

Today there is as much designing going into your yard as there is in your home and the same style of design. By that I mean rooms. you can make your garden such a wonderful haven, a place where you can entertain, sit quietly and relax, shelter from the hot winds, just be peaceful in a wonderful setting.

Your garden rooms will cater for your utilities too. The clothesline out the back and the old garden shed along with the compost and rubbish bins can all be housed in the utilities garden room, which will be an area set aside and away from your entertaining and relaxing areas.

These garden rooms are made by the landscaping and plants, they are open to the sky but sheltered from the prevailing winds and neighbors.

It just takes some planning and how you group your shrubs, trees and lay out your garden" rooms. Not only will these garden rooms give you a wonderful place to relax or entertain but they will give you privacy from your neighbors and the passing traffic.

Setting up your blueprint plan for landscaping your yard can be done by a professional landscaping firm, with landscaping software if you are handy with a computer software program or by sitting down, studying your yard and visiting your plant nursery for ideas and planting suggestions.

Once you have your plans in place, the landscaping contractors can be called in to do the heavy parts, they have all the landscaping equipment and can often advise on products, landscaping materials and supplies.

It's a lot of fun and once you get your landscape blueprint in place, if you enjoy gardening, you can take one room at a time, do it yourself or if you are not into the digging and planting, call in the professional landscapers or landscaping contractors to get it all done quickly, so you can get on with just enjoying your new garden rooms.

When all your new garden is completed, you will feel like you have more than doubled the size of your home mainly because you will use these spaces so much.

By Carmel Baird 

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Relaxing in your outdoor living space can be very enjoyable for you and your family and friends.. This may be easier to achieve than you think. Your backyard landscaping can be designed to include an outdoor area that you will find your whole family will enjoy.

When you start planning your backyard living space, take into account how your family will use such a space. Are your children still young enough to want a large playing areas? Do you and your family like to entertain outdoors? Would you be more likely to use the outdoor space for quiet family times and just relaxing? There is no reason with good planning for your backyard landscaping design, that all you wish could not be included in the plan..

Don't simply formulate your plan in your mind however, draw a sketch of your backyard landscaping design, or invest in a computer program that will allow you to create a backyard landscaping design similar to what professional landscape architects will construct.

Selecting Plants For Your Backyard Landscaping Design:

When you have your design ideas for your backyard landscaping it is time to research the type of plants you want to bring in. When you research the plants, look for the ones that will do well in your area, that way the maintenance will be minimal Check with your local nurseries to find the plants that do well in your area also take a look around your neighbourhood, that is always a good source of information. Try including a good variety of trees and shrubs, check the size and shape for when they are fully grown so you will get a good balance in your backyard planting design pleasing to the eye.

You also want to consider each area that you will be planting in. Do you have a shady spot or an unprotected area that can get very windy? Constant harsh sunlight will require plants need to be grown in full sun. Perhaps you will find the use of shade trees planted strategically can reduce air conditioning costs within your home. Take special note of the different areas of your back yard, like how much sun or shade certain areas get each day. By choosing the right plants for your backyard landscaping design will ensure that they will grow well and flourish.

A beautiful backyard to enjoy begins with a comprehensive backyard landscaping design. The more time you spend putting your dreams on paper, the more your backyard landscaping design will become real.

By Rob Buenaventura 

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When you think about, the bathroom is one of the most used rooms in the home. As a result, it only makes sense that you should choose a great bathroom design for your home. The current trends in bathrooms is to make them a personal retreat for home owners and family members, reward yourself and come up with a great bathroom design for your home.

Today's bathroom designs leave fairly limitless options to homeowners seeking to create their own personal retreat from the world and the rigors of daily living. The truth is that with all the options available it's fairly difficult not to have an awesome bathroom. If you are still having difficulty envisioning the finished product here are a few suggestions to get the creative juices flowing.

Rather than going with tired wood or metal shelves in your bathroom, consider a bold move such as wicker or clear plastic shelving. You might also consider creating a palette of colors that have been mixed and matched when it comes to paint and flooring or other decorations. Additionally go with designer colors for your porcelain fixtures if that floats your boat, it is your retreat after all. You do want to make sure that the colors you select are complimentary and that you can find decorative touches, towels, shower curtains, and other accents that will also work well with the colors you've selected.

You can add a more intimate atmosphere to your bathroom by adding potted plants, flowers in vases, or some sort of seating (consider a rocking chair with pillows) or materials such as leather or fur to give your bathroom a more exotic appeal.

If you'd love a new look for your bathroom but are operating on a very limited budget, try a new shower curtain. You'll be amazed at how much of a difference this one touch will make to the overall look of the room. You can find shower curtains to suit all kinds of tastes, interests, and quirks on today's market.

If you're really willing to get creative, consider a theme for your bathroom. Popular themes for bathrooms include beaches or rivers. These are very natural themes that can be quite attractive. For a rive theme you could buy tiles that are made from river rock or for an oceanic or beach theme you could elect to go with seashells in acrylic. For a tranquil touch, try adding a fountain.

If you are seeking inspiration for the perfect bathroom design you shouldn't have to look very far. There are wonderful ideas all over the place simply waiting for the creative eye to catch. The next time you are out and about for an evening on the town take a moment to check out the restrooms and see what ideas present themselves for decorative spice. Magazines concerning bathroom remodeling abound and are excellent resources for current trends in bathroom design. If you're really savvy you'll find a magazine that is devoted to redesigning your bathroom on a budget. You can also check out television shows that focus on do it yourself projects for remodeling bathrooms—there are plenty from which to choose.

 

Decorating Your Kitchen With Unique Country Style

 

The idea of decorating your kitchen country style is especially important to those people who get pleasure from warm earthy feelings and the simplicity of nature. Country Decorating of a kitchen has become one of the more popular interior decorating designs and this is because of the overall welcome and friendly feeling that such country kitchen decoration can offer to not only the home owner but their guests and visitors as well.

If you are thinking of decorating your kitchen in a country style then you may also have to consider whether it will just be limited to the kitchen or will it spread through to other parts of your home as well. Also you need to look at the kind of budget you will have available to carry out such a style of decorating to your kitchen.

There are a number of popular country kitchen decorating ideas around and below are just some of them.

1. The colours to be used. All country style kitchens will include fresh, clean and warm colours such as browns, yellows, greens, whites, pinks and all the shades in between. You may well find that by adding a few accents to your country kitchen design such as fruit, flowers, vegetables and plants will help to increase the feel you are aiming for.

2. Any furniture to be used in a country kitchen decorating scheme should be made from lighter woods as well as wicker. Preferably the chairs and couches in the room should be upholstered in either floral or gingham patterns and this can be done either by purchasing new furniture or by making slip covers for the furniture that is already there.

3. The flooring of any country kitchen should be natural such as wood, tile or flagstone flooring. However, if these happen to be outside the budget you have set for yourself then the same look can be achieved by the use of wall to wall carpeting or laminate flooring in the right sort of colour (light shades). You may even find that hooked or braided rugs can add the authentic finished look that you want.

4. When decorating your country kitchen the accessories that will work best in such a design will be those that the family enjoys such as photos in wooden frames, painted rustic scenes, plants, candles and even lace curtains will add that all important finishing touch to any country kitchen decorating scheme.

Remember all you need to have is an open mind and choose the features that appeal to you the most and have fun designing the country kitchen of your dreams.

By Lee Dobbins 

 

Color forecasting is a complete science in itself and color experts froma round the world gather every year to discuss color and predict trends. These experts come from design companies, paint manufacturers, trade associations, manufacturing companies of all sorts. The trends predicted for 2007 aren't much different than they were for 2006, however. This is good news for those of you in the middle of projects already. So there will be no clear cut "out with the old, in with the new" attitudes on the part of professionals.

So updating your home will be quite easily done with accessories, unlike some years past. Perhaps all you'll need do is get a new centerpiece for the table (which you know you were going to do anyway, right?) So you can just keep on rolling and be completely up-to-date in no time at all.

The most significant shifts will come in the categories of red and blue. One of the factors steering this is the upcoming Olympics in 2008 in Beijing. Reds will be moving into warmer AND cooler directions. You'll see coral and raspberry hues replacing the deep pinks.

We've been seeing our blues heavily influences by yellow, but we'll be moving more toward green-based hues. Think spa! Think ocean! We'll be losing some of the more intense bright colors for milder, more moderate tones as well. Look for more calming effects as a result.

Having said this, however, don't dump a color that is a favourite of yours. Trends come and go. But the way you feel about your home and the way you are able to function happily in your home - this is what is important. So go for versatility and longevity - not trends. Because of the volatility in world conditions, my advice is to seek colors that calm you down and help you feel safe and secure. Use accessories to punch up. You can easily trade them out. But keep the major portions of a room calm and tranquil.